HELMINTHOPHAGA. 115 



2. Helminthophaga pinus. 



Certhia pinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 187'. 



Helminthophaga pinus, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 11'; Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 174'; Baird,Brew. 



& Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 195*; Coues, B. Col. Vail. i. p. 214 ^ MerriU, Pr. U.S. Nat. 



Mus. i. p. 123 \ 

 Sylvia solitaria, Wils. Am. Om. ii. p. 109, t. 15. f. 4'. 

 Vermivora solitaria, Sw. PMl. Mag. new ser. i. p. 434 °. 

 Helmitheros solitarius, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 291 '. 



Supra olivaceo-viridis, alis et cauda cinereis, iUis fasciis duabus albis notatis ; vertiee antico et corpore subtus 

 flavis, loris nigris, crisso albo ; rostro et pedibus brunnescentibus. Long, tota 4-5, alae 2-4, caudse 1-9, 

 rostri a rictu 0-6, tarsi 0*7. (Descr. exempl. ex Coban, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. NoETH Ambbica, Eastern States ^s, Texas s. — Mexico 3, Vera Cruz {Bullock^) 

 Jalapa {Beppe, Mus. Berol.), Cordova (Salle ^) ; Guatemala ^, Eetalhuleu, Coban ^, 

 Choctum, Teleman (0. S. & F. D. G.) 



Helminthophaga pinus is by no means a common bird in either Mexico or Central 

 America in winter, the only time of year it is to be found there. Besides being included 

 in Svrainson's list of Bullock's birds, the evidence of its occurrence in Mexico is almost 

 confined to the appearance of its name in the first list of Mons. Salle's birds ^, to the 

 existence of one of Deppe's specimens in the Berlin Museum, and to the mention of 

 a Mexican specimen in the Smithsonian Institution^; the bird seems to have been 

 unnoticed by de Oca, Sumichrast, and other assiduous collectors in Mexico. In Guate- 

 mala it occurs most frequently in the neighbourhood of Coban; but, besides being 

 found in this mountain-region, we obtained it almost at the sea-level in the Polochic 

 valley and at Eetalhuleu, less than 1000 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Like so many 

 of its family, it is to be found in the neighbourhood of cleared ground. 



In the States, though it occurs in Texas ^, it is almost exclusively an eastern bird. 

 Here it spends the breeding-season, remaining from the early part of May to September 

 or October ^. Its nest is described by Wilson ^ ; but his account of it does not tally 

 with that of Mr. Eidgway, who found several near Mount Carmel in Illinois, where the 

 bird is plentiful. The latter authority says that the nest is a very loose open structure, 

 composed chiefly of broad thin flexible strips of bark. 



The synonymy of this bird has been much involved with that of Bendroeca pinus, a 

 very different species. The difiiculties connected with this question have been, carefully 

 unravelled by Dr. Coues ^. 



b. Caud&i unifovmis, macula alba nulla.. 



3. Helminthophaga ruficapilla. 



Sylvia ruficapilla, Wils. Am. Om. iii. p. 120, t. 27. f. 3'. 



Helminthophaga ruficapilla, Scl. P.Z.S. 1858, p. 298'; 1859, p. 373 '> Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. 



15* 



